The Forgetting
by Aviendha Aviendha Aviendha
Summary: TRANSLATION Four years. Eight months. Twelve days. The exact time that had elapsed since the disappearance of Hiccup. When the reserves at Berk were at their lowest, Stoick and other Berkians turn to another tribe for help. They will receive the assistance they requested and even more.
1. Chapter 1

**This is not my story. It was translated from french, and the original story, titled _L'Oubli_ was written by Yukomin on this site. In short, not mine. I'm only going to say that once**

* * *

Stoick counted again, convinced that the day would come when this would no longer be necessary. He raised his head and observed his village. The last raid had not made much destruction. The demons had taken less than normal. Why? It was a mystery. But no one complained about it. On the other hand, the destruction was important. Six houses destroyed, the armory seriously damaged and three drakkars to repair. On the plus side, the village was doing better. Some scratches and burns, the daily lot, and a sprained ankle. Not enough to make a drama. Gobber was already at work at the forge, repairing broken weapons or making nails for all the repairs. His work was good but a bit slow. It had been that way for four years, eight months, and twelve...

No. Stoick shook his head and looked towards the sea. Somewhere in the distance, he knew there was a hope. He could feel it. One day, Gobber would find the work pace that the village had been used to a few years earlier.

One day, Berk would find its heir, its most creative spirit, and sometimes destroyer, its heart. Clouds were gathering in the sky, heading slowly but surely towards the island. Leaving his daydream, the chief of Berk returned to the house he was repairing and directed the other villagers to work faster. A storm was arriving and it would be preferred if all the houses were intact before the rain started to fall. The armory and the drakkars could wait, the priority was the houses. By the end of the afternoon, all the families were in their new homes, well installed. The rain fell until the sun was almost set. The villagers reassembled in the Great Hall to eat after a hard days work. Stoick and Gobber were sitting at the table of honor, with Spitelout, Asher Hofferson, Ingel Ingerman and Barbois Thorston. They all had seats in the Council of Berk and had recently become accustomed to gathering at meal times to discuss the village.

A bit later, near a wall adorned with numerous shields, the young vikings shared a table. They were too young to be admitted to the Counsel but too old to still be considered children. The table was enough to hold them for there was only five, two girls and three boys. Snotlout, black hair, blue eyes, rather smaller, with a big ego, was busy recounting his feats in the last raid.

"I kept that Gronckle stuck firmly on the ground, just with my foot! I was about to finish when a Nightmare showed up and started advancing towards me, its eyes throwing me a clear challenge. You guys know me, I never back down from a challenge, even less when it's a dragon doing the offering. I freed the Gronckle, he no longer interested me, and I walked up towards the Nightmare for my own turn, brandishing my mace. We watched each other for a good minute and I prepared myself to attack when those lizards fled. I can assure you that the Nightmare seemed relieved not to have to face me, he understood very well that he did not have the least chance against me!"

"It's not that I want to contradict you, Snotlout," Fishlegs intervened, "but wasn't it you who insisted that dragons were monsters without souls and not intelligent in the slightest?"

"Of course so! Do you believe that a dragon is capable of thought?"

"No matter. But you just affirmed that the Nightmare challenged you, and that he was scared of you. Which means it has a certain form of intelligence, and therefore emotions. Long story short, you're contradicting yourself."

Snotlout thought a moment, trying to find a reply to get him out of the embarrassment. The twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, waiting for the response impatiently, hoping for a bit of action, conversation was not really their strong point. Astrid, sitting near Fishlegs, hid a smile behind her mug of mead.

"It's the animal instinct," Snotlout eventually responded. "That Nightmare recognized that I was superior to it. He challenged me because he saw that I am the best and when he approached, his instinct told him that it was not his place! That is quite natural, nothing and nobody is a match for Snotlout, heir of Berk, best viking of his generation!"

"Be careful what you say, Snotlout," Astrid said, banging her mug against the table. "You are not the heir of Berk, Hiccup is. If Stoick hears you, you could end up having to clean out the cages of the dragons for the arena. And stop telling such nonsense; I saw you during the raid. The only dragon you faced was a terrible terror, and it bit your behind. Also, before you get any ideas, I'm not looking at you specifically and if you don't stop following me around I will look for a way to get rid of you."

The twins broke out into laughter and Fishlegs laughed quietly, turning his head. Red with shame, Snotlout bared his teeth.

"That brat is dead by now. He disappeared without leaving the least trace. Everyone knows very well that there isn't the slightest chance of finding him alive. He couldn't have survived alone for five years. And then in any event, he would never become the chief. He's much too useless for that. Our tribe would be destroyed in less then an hour with him in command."

"That's always better than you," Astrid replied, "the tribe wouldn't last a minute with you as chief. And if Stoick ever chooses you as the heir, I'll exile myself, I'll go join another tribe."

"Do not say that, my darling, you know that you wouldn't be able to bear getting away from me. And it is sure that Stoick will choose me. I am his nephew and the best, what other choice does he have?"

"For all of our sakes, I sincerely hope that we find Hiccup again."

"Why are you persisting in wanting to find him? I told you that he's dead, he has to be. And you were never interested in him while he was alive, what do you find in him now?"

"In case you hadn't realized, the village is having lots of difficulties reestablishing itself after each raid. Hiccup caused destruction during the raids, yes, but after, he always helped fix everything. It's him that repaired the weapons and made sure that we always had the materials necessary for any repair. He did excellent forge work. Since his disappearance, Gobber has had trouble following the rhythm and his work is not of as good of quality. The weapons are always good but they dent more easily, and he doesn't pay attention to the details. And the new catapults and other weapons that he has constructed recently were all inventions he took from the workshop that he had given Hiccup behind the forge. Hiccup was brilliant, and if we had listened to him a bit more, we wouldn't have so many problems right now. He might still be there, to help him with his crazy but absolutely ingenious new ideas. I am certain that he is still alive and that we will find him, sooner or later."

"I hope that it will be as late as possible," Snotlout muttered, low enough so as to not be heard.

"Hey, Astrid, if you want to find him so much, it's because you've got a crush on him, right?" Tuffnut asked, smiling.

"Absolutely not!" Astrid exclaimed, blushing. "It's just because I'm certain that he'll make a good chief and that I care about the future of the village. Plus, Stoick would be delighted to find him again; he's been so sad since his disappearance."

"Of course," said Tuffnut, "you don't have a crush on him. So it is for no particular reason if you refuse to separate yourself from the axe he made and your parents gave you for your tenth birthday. And it's totally for the sake of the village that you go clean his room once a week. It's just to keep his memory alive here? So that his spirit rests with us?"

"His spirit?" Ruffnut asked. "He's dead? It's a ghost? Awesome! Where is he?!"

"Oh, shut your mouth, idiot," Tuffnut responded. "It's an expression!"

"So he is not dead?"

"I don't know! No one knows!"

The twins threw themselves into their argument, much to the relief of Astrid who could then finish her meal quietly. Before the teens could leave their table, Stoick approached them, and signaled them to stay there.

"You want something, chief?" Astrid asked.

"Yes. As you know, the village is in a rather tenuous position at the moment. It was good that there was not too much damage in that last raid; our supplies are low and winter is on its way. The Council has decided to send some men to a particular tribe to replenish the reserves. I am bringing the group, and you will come as well. The trip will last close to a week and we are leaving the day after tomorrow, so be ready. Bring only the absolute essentials."

"Understood. What is the tribe that we are going to visit?"

"And why that one in particular?" Fishlegs interrupted. "There are allied tribes much closer to us."

"That's true, but in addition to our need of food, Gobber needs certain materials for his forge, and the Cueilleurs tribe is renowned for its metalwork and its medical arts."

"The Cueilleurs? Those are the vikings who prefer discussion to even fighting?"

"Yes, but that's not to say that they don't know how to fight. That's why I'm taking this time to warn you: don't provoke them. If they were not so calm, the dragons will not be the principle threat. They are redoubtable warriors, and they are very protective of their tribe. They greet strangers with joy, but do not let their guard down. They have specialized in medicine but also know how to inflict wounds as well as they can heal them. Therefore, we are taking this opportunity for acquiring some remedies and medicinal plants. Do you all understand?"

"Yes," responded the teens in concert.

"Perfect, so get yourselves back to your houses and rest up a bit. The trip is going to be very long; I don't care to have you embarking already tired."

The teens nodded their heads and left the Great Hall then went their separate ways. Two days later, the whole village turned out to see the departure of the two drakkars and to wish them a good trip. The calm sea and the clear skies were good omens, and the departure occurred amidst good spirits all around. The teens, happy and excited, hurried to had never left Berk before and were excited to discover other islands. In the absence of the chief, the village was run by Spitelout, the father of Snotlout, who was also the Stoick's brother. This last exchanged of a few words with his brother and Council members before embarking in turn. The drakkars embarked slowly on the water, away from the island to find a strong wind that would take them to their destination.

* * *

 **Okay, I know I haven't finished the other story I'm working on translating, "Annabeth Chase and the Lightning Thief", but I received a request via PM to translate this story and the sequel, so I decided I could work on both at once. One plus I've found to translating: no writers block. This story, and the sequel, are forty chapters each, so be prepared for a long haul. This is going to take quite some time.**

 **By the way, if you haven't checked out some of my other stories, please do so. I have several translations from french, like this one, as well as a couple original pieces.**

 **As always, review!**


	2. Chapter 2

A week of traveling in a Drakkar means five young Vikings having explored up and down the word _boredom_ in a small space, and with adults who were not necessarily patient or understanding. In short, arriving at the island of the Cueilleurs, Stoick was more than relieved. He ordered the youth to unload the affairs of all the members of the group, and to deposit them in the house that would accommodate him. The youth groaned, wanting to explore the village and the island, but understanding that it was a sort of punishment for getting on the Chief's nerves.

On the dock where the Drakkars were berthed was the chief of the Cueilleurs, Movic the Gracious. He welcomed his Berkian counterpart with joy.

"Stoick, it's been ages since you visited us last. To what do I owe this honor?"

"Movic, it's good to see you again. But you can't accuse of not coming when you yourself never leave your island!"

"You are right. I think I need to return the favor one day. I see you've brought some young warriors. You're making them see the world?"

"In part, yes. But I regretted my decision after only two days. Young people are unbearable when they're bored. And I have a prize bunch here with me."

"I see what you mean, those of my tribe are the same way. We could make them compete, and the would not have to be dragging at our feet to make us feel how full of energy they are."

"I want you to meet them, they're driving me crazy!"

"So it's settled, then. I'll talk to my second so he can arrange it as soon as possible. How much time do you have?"

"Well, that depends on what we can agree to. As you know, dragons are a scourge. The raids never let up and this year was bad for the crops and the fishing. The stores in the village are at their lowest. So I came to barter for some food, some materials for our forge, and some remedies."

"I understand, we will talk about that tonight, over a meal. But if I can make you a suggestion, you need to ask for the help of young Rider. He does miracles with the dragons."

"Miracles?"

"Yes, come, let's go to the village, you will understand."

Intrigued, Stoick followed Movic to the village, followed by Gobber and the teens who had _forgotten_ to unload the boats. Arriving at the first houses, the group stopped and wondered at the view. Everywhere Vikings were busy, as was normal on a calm and sunny day. But what challenged the Berkian group was that there were dragons roaming freely through the streets. Nightmares were snoring on the rocks bordering the village, Nadders wearing baskets of fish baskets of fish were following Vikings, Zipplebacks were helping men construct a new building, Terrors were flying in all directions carrying scraps of paper or sitting on perches, and Gronckles were watching children at play.

"What does this mean?" Stoick asked.

"I told you, the teen named Rider does miracles."

"Who is this teen?"

"We call him Rider," Movic responded, "we do not know very much about him, but the same thing goes for him. The poor thing ran aground on our shores almost five years ago. We thought he was going to die, he stayed unconscious for almost two weeks. He had a big bump on the head, probably due to the fall that made him land on our island. When he woke up, he could not remember a single thing, not even the name of the dragon who was accompanying him."

"A dragon?" Gobber questioned.

"Yes, a night fury. He's is more protective than a mother is of her newborn. He did not want us to approach the kid when he was found. It took us hours to make him understand that we just wanted to help his friend. And even when he authorized us to bring him to the village to get him treated, he followed and refused to leave the healer's house until the little one was awake. And that's a good thing, too, the kid was completely lost, which is normal in his state. Only the dragon managed to calm him down. And even if Rider remembered absolutely nothing, he had blind trust in the lizard."

"And what does that have to do with what's happening today?"

"Rider helped us train dragons. He told himself that if he had managed to be friends with a night fury, it could not be very complicated with the others. So, after a raid, he told me about his idea and I let him try his luck with the dragons we had captured. It only took him a few words and two or three fish for all the lizards to be rolling around at his feet, purring like cats! When we saw that, we understood that it's better to have dragons at our sides than against us. So he taught us to bind with the dragons and ride them. I can assure you of one thing: once you have flown on the back of a dragon, it's hard to go back. And you can see the results today. The dragons live with us in harmony. When there is a raid, we form an air defense and other dragons turn back. Some stay here and integrate themselves into the village. Life has been much easier and simpler since then. Now, instead of learning how to kill dragons, the youth learn how to ride them and fight at their side."

"And this Rider, it was him that made all this possible?" Stoick asked. "Why doesn't he help all the other islands?"

"Oh, that's the problem. The kid is scared."

"Scared?"

"Yes. After five years, he has never regained the least little memory. All that he knows is what he has learned since he has been with us, other than his instincts with dragons. He is frightened at the idea of leaving and ending up in the same situation. It's not very logical, you don't lose your memory like that. He knows that, and has said it himself, but it makes him scared. He does not want to lose what little he has. We understand that, so we don't push him, but we try to help him overcome his fear. He's made progress. For example, he is not here today. He left with my son and some others to explore the area. They left a week ago and should be beck tonight. In any event, Rider is not gone too much; he has been the apprentice blacksmith for three years, and there is always work."

"If we ask him to accompany us back to Berk, will he come?"

"No idea. But if he does not want to come, I recommend that you let it fall, Toothless is not very patient where it concerns Rider."

"And who is Toothless?" Gobber asked.

"The night fury."

"Wait, a night fury, the most deadly of all the dragons, is named Toothless?!" Astrid exclaimed.

"Yes. When Rider wanted to give him a name, the dragon refused all of them until he showed his teeth and retracted them, pretending he was eating a fish. After a few tries, Rider found the right name. And let me tell a little something. The most deadly of all the dragons is also the most playful and the most loyal. And he has a strong personality."

After Astrid could not reply, there was a shout. The group turned toward the source of the cry and saw seven dragons land in the village. One of them was very different from the others, smaller and entirely black. The Berkians deduced that that was the night fury. Its rider was dressed all in black and had a helmet on his face, doubtless to act as a windbreaker. Seeing them, Movic called them and motioned for them to come closer. The youngsters, five boys and two girls, arrived chatting.

"Quiet down a bit, you guys," Movic said. "We have guests. This is Stoick, the chief of Berk. The others are all Berkians. I am counting on you to welcome theml. Rider, Stoick wants to talk to you, can you spare him a moment?"

"Of course," the young man responded while fighting with his helmet, "As soon as I manage to take this thing off. This new model leaves much to be desired."

Finally taking off the helmet, the young man looked up again and addressed the group of visitors.

"Hello, delighted to meet you. Like Movic just told you, I go by Rider. What can I help you with?"

The group of Berkians, seeing the face of the young man, found themselves frozen in place, unable to speak.

"Uh, are you guys alright?" Rider asked, worried.

"Hiccup?" Stoick asked, shocked.

"Pardon?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Hiccup? Wasn't that the name of your son?" Movic asked.

"Yes, that's right," responded Gobber seeing that Stoick was in no state to respond. "And if you were wondering, this is that young man."

"You hear that, Rider? You finally know who you are and where you come from! There's some good news!"

"Who I... No, wait," said Rider, shaking his head. "These guys are from Berk, is that good?"

"Yes, and Stoick is the chief, and taking into consideration his reaction, you are his son."

"His son..." repeated Rider examining Stoick. "Really? We don't look all that much like each other."

"You take completely, or almost completely, after your mother," said Stoick finally, advancing. "Hiccup, if only you knew how happy I am, and relieved, to see you again. You will be able to go home, to come back with us. Everyone at the village will be overjoyed."

"Uh... I do not want to disappoint you, but I haven't the slightest memory of you. How do I know that you aren't making things up?"

"Kiddo," Gobber said, "we are not the sort to weave elaborate yarns. And we all remember you, we can tell you about your whole life, other than these past five years. Believe me, I have watched you grow up, I know you enough."

"He's right," added Stoick, taking the arms of his son, "and upon our return to Berk, you'll have to remember something."

"Don't touch me!" Rider exclaimed, disengaging his arms and stepping back.

The night fury, who had been approaching during the conversation, started to growl and bounded forward. He showed his teeth to Stoick while wrapping his tail protectively around Rider. The chief of Berk, reacting on instinct, brandished his ax ready to attack.

"Stop!" cried Rider. "If you do him the least bit of harm, you will regret it. And don't get close to me. You... I don't know you! Leave me in peace!"

With those words, Rider climbed onto the night fury and the two took off, disappearing rapidly toward the center of the island.

"I am sorry," Movic said, "we should have been more careful. Stoick, I think that you will need to give him some time. I have never seen him so upset, I think that he is in a state of shock. He tends to react badly when he is shocked."

"If he is shocked, imagine what it's like for us," Gobber said. "To be told that he does not know us, when we have been there all his life. Come on, Stoick, I think a good tankard of mead wouldn't do us any harm, or maybe even a barrel. Or two, that depends..."

"Coe to my house, we will be calmer there," proposed Movic. "Rasemine! Show the village to the youth of Berk. And if you find Rider, send him to the healer's; I think that a calming potion won't do him any harm. Young folk, I leave you in the hands of my son."

The young man who had been talking with Rider advanced towards the teens while the Chiefs and Gobber s'éloignent, Stoick seeiming to channel all the misery of the world into his steps.

"So you come from the same village as Rider?" Rasemine asked, watching the young Berkians.

He himself was a standard young Viking. Moderately sized, heavily muscled, black hair bound and falling down his back, some scars on his face and arms. He was dressed in light furs and carried an ax strapped on his back, in addition to a dagger on his belt.

"His name is Hiccup," Astrid said.

"Hmm, someone will need to tell him that, I am not sure that he heard. He seemed a bit to agitated for that."

"What are you, to him?" Astrid asked.

"A friend, the first one that he made on this island," responded Rasemine. "And I am the first to have befriended a dragon and flown at his side. We are like brothers. Why that question, gorgeous? You jealous?"

"Don't address me like that," growled Astrid, approaching with he ax in hand.

"Why? You are gorgeous, without me telling you that."

"And who said that I wanted to hear you call me that?"

"Don't pay attention to her," said Ruffnut, pushing Astrid to the side. "She does not even know the difference between a cooking knife and an ax, so the compliments are flying right over her head. My name is Ruffnut, nice to meet you. On my part, I understand compliments very well."

"I see. Well Ruffnut, I must admit that you are not that bed either. And do you know the difference between a cooking knife and an ax?"

"I can even differentiate between a curtain and a sheet, do you want us to go to your room so I can show you?"

"Thanks for the proposition but I think that my fiancé would misunderstand."

"Dang, already taken..."

"Don't listen to her, she completely loses her head whenever she sees a new boy. I am Tuffnut, and as you can see, I am unfortunately her twin. Apart from appearance, we don't really resemble each other that much."

"Still happy, seeing your genius, I believe that I will be doomed to finish single," Ruffnut said.

"Yeah! I am a genius! Wait, I don't understand..."

"Forget those two nothings, I am Snotlout, the only one you have to worry about. Stoick is my uncle, so I am important. And what's more, I am the best fighter of my generation. Everyone adores me. And Astrid is my girl, so don't approach her."

"The day I belong to you, it will freeze in hell!" said Astrid, giving a kick to the back of Snotlout's right knee and twisting his right arm to his back.

"My name is Fishlegs, it's a real pleasure to meet you."

"Same here, Fishlegs. Happy to see that there is at least one person in your group who has a something in his head."

"Excuse me?!"

"Oh, I'm sure that you have something in your head, Astrid. But I think you could do with some work on you anger; your temperament is not well controlled."

"Hmph!"

"Good, am I showing you around the village?"

"With pleasure," Fishlegs accepted. "Can we ask you questions during the visit?"

"Of course."

"Then here's the first question," Astrid said, "how did Hiccup get here?"

"On dragon back, I would imagine," Rasemine said, starting to show the village to the Berkians. "There wasn't a single boat in the area, not even a wreck or a raft. He himself doesn't remember anything, of course. We think that he was taken in a storm. We discovered him on a beach the day after the biggest storm in viking memory. He had a big bump on his head and a nasty cut on his forehead and a lot of bruises everywhere. His right wrist was broken too. Toothless fared much better but one wing was slightly injured and his prosthetic tail was broken."

"Prosthetic?"

"Yes. He is missing a tail fin, the right one. Without that, he cannot fly. It seems that Rider knew Toothless for a while before coming here because it was he who made his prosthetic. He found the diagrams in a journal that was in his vest. But the journal was new, there was only diagrams and drawings of Toothless, so we did not have the slightest indicator to know where they two of them came from."

"When did he arrive, exactly?" Fishlegs asked.

"A bit less than five years ago, maybe four and a half, but not more."

"It matches with the time of his disappearance, close to two months. He had to travel a bit before coming here."

"Yes, but that means he knew the dragon before he left Berk," added Astrid. "Remember, when he disappeared, there weren't any boats missing. And if he was found so far from the island, he could not have left without a dragon, of his own accord. So he betrayed us by allying with those beasts and fleeing."

"Don't jump to conclusions, gorgeous," Rasemine said. "I know Rider, he is honest. He might have left Berk on Toothless, but if that's the case, it must have been to protect him. Last he knew, Berk kills dragons, right? When someone forms a bond with a dragon, they cannot bear to see them hurt. If he had talked with you, you would have killed Toothless before listening to their story."

"Let's admit, that still does not excuse his flight."

"There too, in light of what you just said, I think he wasn't really running away. But even if it was his intention to leave, he was making a round trip."

"How do you know that? He is amnesic, right?"

"Fishlegs just said that he was missing two months between his disappearance and his arrival here. Berk is situated a week from her by boat. With a dragon, it would take a day, maybe a day and a half to get there. If Rider landed here during the storm, then it's a safe bet that he was en route back to Berk before being diverted and run aground here."

"That's logical," Fishlegs appreciated. "Now we need to know why he was coming back."

"Good luck with that. After almost five years, he doesn't even always remember his favorite color, so his reasons to go back to the place he fled from haven't won him over."

"Do you know where we can find him?"

"Knowing Rider, he must be hiding out in the forest with the wild dragons, those that have no rider. All the dragons adore him, even the wild ones, like they believe Rider is a dragon in human form."

"For the last time, his name is Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed, angrily.

"Yes, I know, no need to get excited. Ri... Hiccup will be delighted to know that his girlfriend likes his name."

"I am not his girlfriend!"

"Oh? Seeing how you talked about him, I thought that you were together. And that would explain why he refuses all advances, even if he doesn't remember you."

"Advances?" Ruffnut asked.

"Yes, he is very popular. All the girls here have tried to lure him at least once. But since it's true that none of them were blonds with blue eyes, you have a chance, Astrid."


	4. Chapter 4

Rasemine, completely ignoring the blond viking who quickly turned red, continued his tour of the village. He indicated the main buildings, the house of the chief, the Great Hall, the herb house (where all sorts of dried and powdered plants for making herbal remedies and medicines were stored), the forge, the armory, and the stables for dragons.

"If it interests you, the house a bit away, near the lake, is Hiccup's," finished Rasemine. "He and Toothless love to swim; that's why they set themselves up there. Do you want to go have a look around, Astrid?"

"Why would I want to go there?"

"Maybe to get to know him a bit better?" suggested Rasemine in a light tone.

"I don't need to; I thought he was a Viking, but he is nothing but a traitor. There is nothing else to know."

"Don't be so hard on him. It's true that he does not have the stature of a viking, but he is also as stubborn as a dragon and a great fighter. I am sure he would cause you some problems if you were to get in a fight."

"Oh, don't exaggerate!" shot Snotlout. "The shrimp can not even lift an axe or take three steps without tripping. How could he fight?"

"Well, it's true that he didn't know how until he arrived, but we taught him. That took us some time; we did not understand that he was a lefty, so we always put the weapons in his right hand. But when we switched to his left, he made great progress, in particular with the sword. He is formidable by now. And even better when he uses his twin blades. He is also good at unarmed combat. In fact, once he grasped the basics, he progressed quickly and became an impressive fighter. And he makes his weapons himself, the same as his armor. You really should not underestimate him."

"Really?" asked Astrid. "I will need to confront him. If he can last a minute, I will no longer treat him as cowardly and treacherous."

"You will have the occasion to do so very soon," Ruffnut said. "Here he is now."

Turning back towards the house, the young vikings did indeed see a black dragon landing near the lake. Hiccup, as always wearing his black clothes and armor of the same color, seemed to be part of the dismounted and sat down near the water holding his head in his hands.

"Come on," Rasemine said. "For the moment, call him Rider and avoid upsetting him. It may be a shock for you to see him again, but it is just as much one for him. You have no idea how anxious he was about not being able to remember anything. And now you land here, claiming to know him, and that furthermore he is the son of the chief. It's enough to feel like your head has been turned inside out, isn't it?"

"You are right," Fishlegs said. "We will be careful."

Reassured, Rasemine led the Berkians toward the lake. Seeing them approach, Toothless adopted a defensive position, stepping in front of his trainer and spreading his wings wide while showing his teeth. Surprised, Hiccup turned his head and saw the group.

"Toothless, calm down, bud. They can come."

The dragon folded his wings and retracted his teeth before rubbing his head against that of Hiccup and sitting down next to him.

"How's it going, Rider?" asked Rasemine. "Not too upset?"

"No, everything's going wonderfully," responded Hiccup. "I met the chief of Berk, and I learned that he is my father. So I come from a tribe that kills dragons and is glad about it. Terrific, isn't it? _Hey, it's me, Rider, I am one of you guys finally, according to the chief_ _. Say, do you like dragons? Because I do._ I am sure that the cheif would be delighted to have found me again. Maybe he will make a bonfire, with me in the middle. Exciting, right? I can't wait to be there."

"Wow, you haven't lost any of your sarcasm," Astrid said. "Are you going to go on?"

"No, I think I'm done. Who are you?"

"Astrid," the viking responded, looking now towards the others. "These are Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Snotlout."

"Hello Rider," said Fishlegs. "I know that you don't remember anything about us, but I am really delighted to see you again."

"Yeah, me too," Ruffnut added, "Must say you're not bad. Much better than five years ago, taller, more muscled. And I have to be to your taste, right? I am blond, and I have blue eyes."

"Ah...," said Hiccup, a bit panicked.

"Hey, hey, how could you have forgotten everything?" asked Tuffnut. "You just got a big hole in your head, tight? You know? You think I could forget everything too?"

"No idea, but I would very much like to be able to forget those last five minutes there," responded Hiccup.

"Say, if you have forgotten everything, does that mean you do not remember I am the best? Your cousin, Snotlout, the one who always manages everything and who you admire above all. You give me real reverence."

"Really? Then it might be a good thing to have amnesia, it seems to make me more intelligent. And wait, we are cousins?"

"Yes, but ignore him, he does not know how to talk about anything but himself," Astrid said. "It seems you are a good fighter. Would you mind facing me?"

"Not really, but why?"

"You did not know how to fight five years ago, I just want to see how you are doing nowadays. And if you do well, I could accept being a bit more lenient with you. I do not tolerate the weak or the useless."

"So I was weak and useless? Kind of you, I feel loved."

"Then it's a challenge? You have your weapon?"

"Yes, one minute."

Hiccup went over to Toothless and took two swords hanging from a harness. The swords were slightly longer than normal swords and also thinner.

"Let's go to the arena," Hiccup said, "we will be in neutral ground there."

Astrid accepted and the youth went off towards the arena, on the other side of the village. When they arrived, they saw that Movic, Stoick, and Gobber were there. When the teens entered the arena, the three men turned toward them. Movic sent a curious look toward his son while Stoick and Goobber regarded the young Berkians. Stoick had a moment of hope seeing Hiccup but was brought back to reality when the latter gave him a confused looked and backed a little closer to Toothless.

"Dad," Rasemine said, "I hope that we are not interrupting anything?"

"No, I was just showing to our guests where we train the dragons. What is it?"

"Astrid has challenged Rider in combat, they decided to face off here."

"Oh, so we will leave and go watch from the outside. It's been some time since anyone has challenged Rider, this should be interesting."

"Wait! Astrid, you can't challenge Hiccup, you might get him injured!" Stoick said.

"Thanks for your confidence," shot Hiccup with a black look. "I would like to inform you that I know very well how to defend myself. Avoid considering me an incompetent."

"But-"

"Stoick, he's right," interrupted Movic. "Rider was trained by the best fighters on the island and he himself is one of the best at the present. It's more the young girl who risks being injured if she underestimates him. Rider is fast, he might not be able to stop in time if she makes a wrong move."

"Whatever, Astrid cannot lose face to anybody except me," Snotlout said. "For a girl, she is excellent when it comes to a fight."

"It's degrading, what you're saying," Hiccup intervened. "Her being a girl has nothing to do with her ability to fight. I am sure that she is better than you."

"Oh yeah? And what makes you say that?"

"Her bearing is firm and confident, but not arrogant. You, on the other hand, stink of arrogance, nose in the air, and you seem less able at fighting."

"You..."

"Shut your snout, Snotlout, you are slowing us down," Astrid said.

Snotlout, always indignant, rejoined the others outside the arena to watch the combat. Astrid placed herself in a corner and held her axe firmly in her hands. Hiccup faced her, a sword in each hand and leaning slightly forward.

"I will arbitrate," announced Rasemine who had stayed in the arena. "Fatal blows or aiming to inflict serious or permanent damage is prohibited. The battle ends when one of the fighters surrenders, is clearly defeated, or is unfit to continue. You will start on my mark. Ready? Fight!"

The second the signal was given and Astrid rushed Hiccup screaming, lifting her ax to shoulder height. Her opponent, momentarily surprised by her loud charge rushed forward too, but silently. His steps were light and he quickly reached Astrid, who was lowering her ax. He dodged her blow with ease and ended up on her left. Raising his swords, he threw a blow to the Berkian's side but she just barely parried it. Preferring to regain a little distance, Hiccup drew back. He examined Astrid and her method of fighting, the way she stood. Understanding her style, Hiccup charged forward again without warning. Always surprised by the capacities of her adversary, Astrid reacted a little bit too late and felt the point of a sword cutting her left wrist. Swearing, she recovered and sought Hiccup's eyes. She located him behind her, but did not have time to turn around. Sending her ax flying off, Hiccup tripped Astrid, holding her to the floor with his knee, and he crossed his swords above her throat. The young viking tried to push him away, but did not succeed.

"Rider is declared winner," Rasemine announced.

The Berkians regarded Hiccup with surprise while he straightened and extended a hand to Astrid to help her recover. The fight had barely lasted a minute and yet the young Berkian was short of breath.

"You hide your game well. You have put on muscle, even if it doesn't show," Astrid said, accepting Hiccup's hand. "I will be more careful next time; you won't win."

"In a real combat, there is not a next time. You would be dead."

"That is why this is not a real combat, just a simulation," said Rasemine.

"But it is still a defeat. I am sorry for calling you weak and useless."

"Apology accepted."

The three youth left the arena and rejoined the others. Snotlout, seeming a bit sick, said nothing, but the twins and Fishlegs came to congratulate Hiccup. Toothless, who had remained near the gate leading to the arena, approached his friend and stuck his head under his arms with a caress. Hiccup complied and was rewarded with a blissful purr. It stopped only when the dragon opened his eyes and growled. Raising his head again, Hiccup again found himself facing Stoick. Although large, the young man needed to raise his head to look the chief of Berk in the eye.

"Hiccup, I... I don't really know how to start. I... I am sorry for being unwelcoming with you earlier, and to have shown myself to be so impatient. Movic made me understand that this situation is not as easy for you as it is for me. I know that you are at least what you were five years ago, and you are always my son. Now, you are a bit more than that. You have changed, in part because of your amnesia, but maybe also because you were far from Berk and you could finally express yourself and be heard. I know that I have been a bad father, and a bad chief as far as it concerned you. But I really would like it if you came back to the house with us. I will leave you all the time you need to make your decision. Just know that if you wish to go, you will always be welcome."

"And Toothless?"

"That will take some getting used to, but he can come too."

"Thanks for your understanding, chief Stoick. I cannot give you an answer yet. Either way, you will be staying for several days, right? We could get to know each other, or get to know you again in my case. Just, do not get your hopes up. I have been struggling to find the slightest memory for five years. Until a few hours ago, I did not even know my real name. And if I know it at this moment, it is only because you told it to me. I will do what I can, with no promises."

"I understand. I don't ask for anything more."

* * *

 **Here is another chapter, guys. This story is doing strangely well - better than any other story I have translated or written. Granted, I have never seen this idea before, and the author writes well, so it is not as shocking as if one of my _own_ stories got this many follows. On that note, please leave a review, even if you hated it and thought I should never update again. They really mean a lot to me, really. It takes just as much time and effort to translate a story as it does to write one. Please review! What do you guys all think is going to happen next? At the time I write this AN, I have no more idea than you do. I haven't read the next chapter yet. I want to see what you guys think.**

 **One other thing - I almost forgot. I translate piece by piece, not going straight through and doing everything at once. If you guys see any parts that I missed and are still in French, please let me know. Thanks!**

 **In case you are confused by receiving another email, I just was informed that I missed a section from the original, and quickly translated and added it. If you miss it, or don't want to take the time to re-read and look for it, it is nothing story-changing.**


	5. Chapter 5

As agreed, Stoick stopped pressing Hiccup and the young man agreed to stay with the Berkians for several hours each day. Stoick told him about their family history and everything that seemed important to him about their life before his disappearance. The youth made efforts to learn to understand him but could not offer him many answers since they had not been on good terms with him during their childhood. Fishlegs seemed to be the closest to him, telling him several episodes from when he had been seven or eight years old. Hiccup learned that he had taken part in training to kill dragons, and the mere thought of having participated in that got him so worked up that Toothless made him get on his back and the two left on a long flight, not returning until late that evening. The other adult Berkians did not really get involved in the task of helping Hiccup, preferring to keep their distance. Only Gobber insisted on passing time with the young man, frequently making visits to the forge and pouring out all the anecdotes from the past that came to him. He also took the opportunity to question Hiccup on his work.

"How long have you been working at the forge? And why?"

"Erik accepted me a few weeks after I woke up here," Hiccup responded, hammering at an axe head to repair it. "He is the main blacksmith; the others only work here periodically. When I asked him for help repairing Toothless's prosthetic, he accepted to glance at it before saying he understood nothing. He looked at the blueprints in my journal and tried to reconstruct it. He was doing well, but did not have much time to devote to it. Since Toothless was being impatient, I asked if I could help and he explained the basics of the forge to me before letting me go, all the while watching my work. It was a surprise for the both of us when I managed to make all of the pieces without an error, and on my first try, too. After I reinstalled the prosthetic on Toothless, and a great day of flying, Erik proposed taking me on as an apprentice."

"And it was a damn good decision," said the smith. "The lad is gifted with a hammer, and very creative. He has lightened my workload, and everyone appreciates what he makes. He has a way of working the metal that renders it both solid and durable at the same time. He may be my apprentice but I learn as much from him as he does from me. You are the smith on Berk; do you like it?"

"Yes."

"So you are the one who taught him the trade?"

"In a sense. I showed him the basics and some more advanced techniques, but he rapidly surpassed me."

"Well you did good work. Our forge work is renowned, but with such a blacksmith, Berk has nothing to envy us about."

"That's a big compliment," said Gobber. "Vikings are not the sort to make compliment, especially to a competitor. Something's fishy here; you're as slippery as an eel."

At the mention of an eel, Toothless, who was sleeping near the entrance to the smithy, opened his eyes and stood up, looking about him on all sides, panicked.

"What's up with the giant lizard?" asked Gobber.

"He's not a lizard," said Hiccup, stopping his work to calm Toothless. "He just has a small problem with eels, like all dragons. Calm down, Bud, it's just an expression, there are no eels here."

Toothless calmed down slightly but sent a distrustful gaze towards Gobber. Hiccup chuckled a bit, stroking the dragon's head.

"Don't worry, I promise you that Gobber has no eels on him. I'm finishing my work and we will fly in a moment, okay?"

Forgetting the eel, Toothless opened his mouth and let his tongue hang out, watching his friend impatiently.

"Finish your nap," said Hiccup, getting back to his work, "I'm doing this as fast as I can but it will still take a bit of time."

"So," resumed Gobber, "now that the lizard will not interrupt us any more, why the compliments?"

"Bah, just to see if you were willing to leave us Rider," responded Erik. "We aren't lacking people skilled at blacksmithing here, but the lad is the best."

"Sorry, dear colleague, Berk also is in need of a smith. I am not getting any younger and I do not want to take on a new apprentice. If Hiccup decides to come back with us, he can take back the forge. Right Hiccup?"

"If this is a very subtle way of asking me if I have decided to rejoin you, then I'm afraid to disappoint you. I have not decided yet."

"You need to hurry up a bit, we're leaving in two days."

"I know. But this is not a very easy decision. You know me, but I still know nothing about you guys other than what you tell me. And Stoick is the hardest to address. He seems to want to take me without listening to anything. He promised not to make me do anything, but I get the impression that does not really listen when I tell him I'm not quite sure if I want to leave. He already has everything ready for me to come with you. You know him, right? Is he always so stubborn?"

"Oh yes, and I can assure you the problems of understanding and stubbornness run in the family. You also have trouble listening, especially to orders, and even more so when it goes against what you want to do. At least, it was like that before your disappearance."

"I can assure you that that has not changed, then," Erik says. "I have never seen someone so wooden headed!"

"That's encouraging, maybe you have not forgotten everything, at last?"

"Personality is not really a part of memory; it's more like a code of conduct," responded Hiccup. "It is a way of being. Of course, it is based on past experiences, but once it is installed, it is hard to change. What do you think? Have I changed my character?"

"Not really. You are a bit more patient and mature, but I think that is on account of the whole in you memory and your growth. You are still the same kid. Sarcastic, creative, stubborn, clumsy,…"

"Okay, I understood, no need to list all my flaws. And clumsy?"

"I saw you stumble this morning; you were walking and caught your foot in a root. Yu dropped your mug at midday meal, and you banged your head at least twice against the top of the doorway into the forge. Not to mention…"

"Yes, yes. That's fine. And I can do nothing about the door, it's too low!"

"Must say you did well," affirmed Gobber. "Five years ago, you barely reached your father's waist. You were the smallest and skinniest of your generation. And now, you are the tallest, although, you are still the skinniest."

"Do you like that word or what? Between you and Snotlout, I hear it almost ten times in a single day! And it's not even true, anyway. I am skinny, that's all."

"Yes, and you have gained some muscle too. Say then, now that I think of it, would you mind stopping addressing me as _vous_? We have always addressed each other as _tu_. And it's the same with Stoick. You do not realize how much it pains him every time you say _vous_ to him or call him by his name." **(Translation Note: In french, when talking to someone formally you call them** _ **vous**_ **and informally you call them** _ **tu**_ **. Hiccup has been calling Gobber** _ **vous**_ **throughout the story, as is appropriate for a stranger who is older than him, and Gobber would like him to stop. This is something with no real English equivalent.)**

"I am sorry; I cannot do it. You need to understand that to me, you are strangers."

"I hope that that will change quickly," Gobber said with a trace of sadness in his voice. "This is not easy for us as well."

Embarrassed by the turn of the conversation, Hiccup moved on to another subject. The following day, the Berkians insisted on staying with the young man, in his house, and they spent their time talking. The day after that, the Berkians were preparing to leave. Stoick and Movic called Hiccup into the house of the chief for a discussion in private. When they left the house, they were surprised to find that Gobber, the young Berkians, and Rasemine were waiting, all having guessed the reason for the discussion.

"So?" Gobber asks.

"Hiccup is coming back with us," responded Stoick, visibly relieved. "Seeing Berk could help him find his memory again."

"So, if you remember nothing even after seeing Berk, you will come back here?" questions Astrid.

"No," Hiccup says. "My home is on Berk, whether I remember it or not. With or without memory, I will stay. Sto... My father made me understand that I have certain responsibilities being his heir. It remains to see if I am made for that."

"You will do very well," assured Stoick slapping him on the back. "You are smart and strong, you will make a good chief."

Nodding his head without much enthusiasm, Hiccup excused himself to go prepare his things and made towards his house, followed by Toothless. At noon, the Berkians were ready to embark and exchanged some last goodbyes with the Cueilleurs. Stoick and Movic talked for a moment while Hiccup made his goodbyes to Rasemine and his other friends. Almost the whole village turns out to say goodbye to Hiccup. Hiccup moved away from Rasemine after a last hug and approached Movic after the Berkian chief had finished talking to him.

"Thank you for everything," Hiccup said simply. "I was lucky to end up on your island."

"You have already sufficiently thanked us, Rider," said Movic, insisting on the name. "Thanks to you, we no longer fear the dragons and we are at peace, restful. You are welcome here whenever you want. Do not hesitate to visit us or send us a terror-mail."

"I will. Thank you."

After a brief handshake, Hiccup climbed onto the drakkar where Stoick was, followed by Toothless who went straight to the head of the boat. The moorings were dropped and the drakkars moved gently away. Hiccup stood motionless, contemplating the shrinking island. When it was out of sight, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face Stoick.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. I just feel like I'm turning m back on my entire life, even if it's a little less than five years. And somewhere, it is like déja vu, as if I had already abandoned everything once."

"That might be the case," Stoick said. "We always ignored why you left Berk, even if I think it is related to your scaly friend, if you found him before your disappearance."

"Speaking of Toothless, what will you…" He started to use the formal _vous_ then corrected himself, "you say to explain his presence? Berk has always been in conflict with the dragons, isn't it?"

"Oh, that will be easy enough. While bringing back the reserves and other supplies that were our objectives, we brought back in addition a solution to our reptile problem. And we kill two birds with one stone since I find my son and heir at the same time. The village was not the same without you, it will be good to have you among us again."

"Really? According to several remarks by Snotlout and the twins, I was not very appreciated, and certain people even celebrated after my disappearance."

"Yes," admitted Stoick, pained. "You have long been seen as a nuisance. I was no stranger to this situation. But I learned my lesson and I never make the same mistake twice. You will never feel undesired again in your own tribe. That is a promise as a chief, but above all, as a father."

"If it begins like that, I think it is a good start," Hiccup says. "Let's hope that Berk jogs my memory."

 **AN: Sorry about putting a not in the middle of the text, but I could not think of another way to have it make sense. Once again,** _ **vous**_ **is the formal or plural form of you, and** _ **tu**_ **is the informal singular one. Someone would use** _ **tu**_ **when talking to a parent, sibling, or friend.** _ **Vous**_ **is used to address a teacher, or someone in a position of authority, or also a group of people. If this does not make sense, leave a review so I can explain it further.**

 **On another note, I am really really sorry about going for so long without giving you guys another chapter. Really, really, sorry. Thanks for sticking with this story anyway. I don't even have an excuse; I just never quite got around to it or felt like it, even though time kept rolling on. I'm really sorry for letting you guys down like that. It (probably) won't happen again (at least for a while). You guys know how life is.**

 **In case anyone has forgotten, as I said at the very beginning this fic is a translation of someone else's fic which was published in french. Look to chapter 1 for more info.**

 **Please please review! I really love it when I get reviews. Reviews are writing juice, or in this case, translating juice.**


	6. Chapter 6

The trip back to Berk was not as stressful as the previous one. The young vikings did not have time to get bored, being too busy subjecting Hiccup to an extensive interrogation about dragons, particularly Toothless. The latter, delighted with the attention, spent most of the trip purring, gorging himself on fish, or growling. The Berkians learned quickly that it was not wise to treat Hiccup rudely, be it physically or verbally. The twins in particular learned that they should not annoy the friend of the dragon, above all when they were on a boat. Tuffnut still was angry about his forced swim, lamenting to anyone who would listen that he had already taken a bath a month prior to visiting the Cueilleurs and that he was thus too clean for his taste, his next bath would not be before at least four or five months. Ruffnut, less annoyed by the impromptu bath, still grieving on the state of her hair, complained about the effect of the salt. Snotlout and Astrid, for once in perfect agreement, were crying of laughter Gobber _fished_ out the twins and brought them safely back onto the deck. Toothless himself was proud of his blow, as evidenced by his gummy smile and dangling tongue. After the bath episode, the twins kept their distance from the reptile, plotting their revenge, with the essential point of being on firm land to execute it. Ignoring the twins, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Snotlout continued to question Hiccup until he had had enough and reversed the roles. Always wanting to know more, he asked questions upon question about Berk, the inhabitants of the island, and the raids. That subject particularly interested him, above all the rhythm of the attacks and what was taken.

"Why do you want to know that?" asked Fishlegs.

"I get the feeling it's important. Their actions can hide something. If they follow a pattern, it could be possible to prevent their attacks and minimize the damages. Especially I do not understand their behavior. The races that are attacking you are not aggressive. Of all the ones you listed, only the nightmares really pose a threat. But as a general rule, they are too lazy to go to the work of attacking a viking village and leaving again with one or two sheep. It's easier to catch fish. And the dragons aren't stupid. If they could content themselves to catching fish fish or hunting, depending on the species, they would not go near a place where they could find death."

"So why did they go after you?" questioned Astrid.

"No idea," responded Hiccup sighing. "It's not as if I have all the answers."

"That's true, but you know a lot about dragons, more than anyone in the village," said Fishlegs in an excited tone. "I can't wait to show you the Dragon Manual. You'll be able to help me bring it up to date. If it is possible to live side by side with dragons, we can even start a new Manual, where the words _kill on sight_ do not appear!"

"Living with dragons is possible," assured Hiccup, "You saw that. And Toothless is a perfect example of that, when no one tries to steal his fish."

"You imagine all the things you will be able to teach us? I want to be on Berk already! We can start with the dragons in the arena and then…"

"You have dragons?"

" _We_ have dragons," corrected Astrid. "Those are the ones we use for training, They are resting for the moment, there is no young person who is the right age to start training."

"Are you going to keep fighting and killing dragons?" Hiccup asked in a cold voice.

"Uh, well, that depends on what your father says," responded Fishlegs, uncomfortable. "It's just... a little over a week ago, we did not know that dragons are not, in fact, as dangerous as we thought they were."

"I'm correcting right away: dragons are dangerous. You can't forget that they are beings with formidable physical attributes and also with intelligence and feelings. They are quite capable of killing. But they don't when they don't feel threatened. If we show this to the villagers, losses will be avoided on both sides."

"That's why I want you to train the dragons that we keep in the arena," intervened Stoick. "That would be a perfect example. The villagers would see that dragons can be allies and the dragons would surely stop their attacks."

"Uh, it's not because the dragons are trained that the raids will stop. On the island of the Cueilleurs, we still have raids. They are more rare but the wild dragons always attack."

"And how are you doing with repelling then?"

"With aerial defenses, it is much more effective than vikings nailed to the ground."

"There you go! That's an excellent argument," said Stoick. "By showing the advantage…"

"Woah woah woah, slow down there!" interrupted Hiccup, raising his hands. "Before doing anything, I want your word that no dragon will be injured or killed. And let me look at the ones you have before starting to train them."

"Why?"

"I want to see if they're not too traumatised by their captivity. If they are too depressed, it won't be easy to work with them. And now, your promise?"

"I cannot speak for the whole village…"

"You are the chief"

"Very well, I promise. But I can not monitor the entire village, so there could be some accidents."

"I can take care of one or two more stupid than average vikings. What dragons do you have in the arena?"

"Two gronckles, a nadder, a zippleback, a nightmare and a dozen terrors. These pests have been attacking in groups recently."

"A survival instinct, I suppose," Hiccup reflected out loud. "They are small and fast but make easy targets when isolated. Staying in a group, they can mutually protect each other."

"Dis voir, Hiccup," said Gobber, "have you seen any night furies other than yours?"

"No, Toothless is the only one I've ever seen, or heard. Why?"

"Well, we had one up until five years ago. It disappeared overnight; we never again heard his delicate song"

"You hear that, Toothless? You cry is a _delicate song_."

The dragon, rolled around the mast for his afternoon nap, lazily opened one eye, growled gently, and closed his eye again, sighing.

"Oh, truly sorry to have interrupted you nap. Go back to sleep, I will wake you up when a conversation worthy of your interest takes place."

Toothless lifted his tail and slapped Hiccup in the back of his head.

"Ow!"

"This dragon has the same personality as you Hiccup," commented Gobber. "Not surprising that you are glued to each other."

"I refute that accusation. I do not have as big of an ego as this lizard."

"But you don't deny the rest, do you?" Astrid asked smiling.

"Not really, we are just as crazy as one another."

"Oh, I love that," Ruffnut said, approaching. "Do you want to show me just how crazy you are?"

"Stop that, Ruff," scolded Astrid.

"Why? At the latest reports, he is still free. Unless you are interested?"

"Not at all! It's just that this is not the moment for this sort of thing!" replied Astrid en rougissant.

"Not the moment for you, but maybe he has a different opinion. Hiccup, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Uh, no. Why the question?"

"Eh bien, you are a young man, well built, with everything that is necessary, I imagine. And we are young girls, us also good with what is needed. You see where I'm coming from?"

"Yes, and that does not really interest me for the moment."

"Why?" asked Ruffnut, disheartened.

"I do not know if I had feelings for someone before I lost my memory," explained Hiccup, blushing in turn. "And if that is the case, I do not want to betray that person."

"But…"

"Ruffnut, drop it," said Astrid taking the twin's arm and dragging her to the other end of the drakkar.

"What was that?" asked Hiccup.

"That, my friend," responded Tuffnut putting an arm on his shoulders, "is the beginning of the chase."


End file.
